


Betrayal

by Bandshe



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3814465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bandshe/pseuds/Bandshe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathaniel, the son of The Hero of Ferelden, a mage and Anders another mage, grows up to hate mages after his father was taken over by Justice and his mother killed in Kirkwall. He later meets up with his uncle Cullen in the worst place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Betrayal

Nobody told Nate about his father, he was only two when his mother was killed in Kirkwall and somehow everyone thought it best to not let him know his dad went to the Deep Roads to die. He was old enough to become suspicious, he was a teenager and well aware of a grey warden’s lifespan, but he sort of held out hope that his father was alive somewhere, trying to rid himself of that demon inside him, that thing that called itself “Justice”.

Justice had ruined his life since the day his mother died. He wasn’t able to save his mother, so he took over his father instead, effectively destroying his only living parent. There was rarely a time where his dad was himself, he was always in the study writing and pouring over books. Little Nate would stand at the doorway hoping his dad would sense his presence, but he never did.

They traveled between Amaranthine and Kirkwall a lot. Anders said it was to visit his mother’s memorial, but he knew the real reason. When he’d go he would play with his uncle Cullen, up until Cullen had left. Cullen was an inspiration to him, he wanted to be a templar like his uncle, but he dared not tell his father. If his mother were alive, he was sure she’d kill him, but if she was alive this wouldn’t have happened.

When he stopped seeing his father he thought it was the perfect opportunity to join the Templars. He hated mages with his whole being. They needed to be controlled or even eliminated, magic was a bigger threat than people understood. It took his parents away and he was going to make sure it wouldn’t take anyone else’s parents.

Nate was a great templar, he was a star pupil and no one knew of his past. He lied, of course he did. If people knew he was the son of the great Hero of Ferelden, he’d be cast out. Son of two mages, one of which blew up the Chantry, a place of worship for him and his brothers and sisters. He was eventually stationed in Ostwick, but he was transferred for being too rough with the mages. He was moved from one place to another for the same reason, eventually he was kicked out of the order, but he hung around; hoping for a way in.

Some years after a new threat came, his name was Corypheus, but Nate didn’t see him as a threat, he saw him as an answer. He found a group of rogue templars and noticed they were smuggling red lyrium. He joined them and by doing so he crossed paths with Corypheus. The first nights near the lyrium brought on strong dreams. He saw his parents in the Fade or what appeared to be his parents. His mother more beautiful than any painting he had ever seen of her, his father still as old as he was since he had last seen him years before.

“Mom? Dad?” he called out to them, almost ashamed at who he was. His parents would be so disappointed. His mother would be crushed to see him become the one thing that had taken her to her death.

“Nate. What are you doing son? Stop, this is madness, Corypheus isn’t the answer.” June pleaded with him, but it was a dream, nothing in the Fade could be trusted, especially not his mage parents.

“And helping your kind is? That is why you died mother, because you had to help the mages.” Nathaniel spat at her.

“Nathaniel, I died to protect you.” June cried out, Anders held her as he grimaced at his son. He didn’t say anything, what could he say now? What done was done, their son was lost to them.

“Whatever we did to make you this way Nathaniel, we’re sorry. This is not what we wanted of you.” Anders finally broke his silence.

“It wasn’t you and mom, it was you and Justice.” with those words Nathaniel was snapped out of his sleep. He wanted to hug his mother, just one more time. He wanted to smell the peaches in her hair that he had smelled when she held him against her bosom. “Mom.” He wiped his brow and got ready for the morning. He spent months as Corypheus’ right hand man, his resistance to the toxic effects of red lyrium was amazing, but it didn’t mean he was any less dangerous. He was well aware of the threat of the Inquisition and well aware that the Inquisitor was a mage. The one thing he wasn’t aware of was that the Lion Commander everyone talked about was Cullen.

The day finally came where he was face to face with the Commander of the Inquisition, the one person that stood between him and the Inquisitor. The Commander stood tall, a lion’s head helm covered his face, obscuring his features. Nate’s helm was a griffin, it was the only thing about his parents he was willing to admire. He respected the grey wardens, so he had the helm fashioned in the shape of a griffin’s head. The Lion roared out his orders sending soldiers charging past him, Nate did the same.

The two fought each other, he could tell the Lion used to be a templar. The way he held his shield, it was a clear tell. “A templar I see.” Nate mocked.

“Ex-templar.” the Lion roared, bashing him with his shield, knocking him down. The Lion’s sword came down almost stabbing him. Nate tripped him, but his opponent rolled in time to miss being stabbed. The two were in a deadlock until an arrow hit Nate in the shoulder, causing him to be distracted long enough for the Lion to strike him down.

Nate could feel the warm liquid spill from his wound. The steam rose from him as the Lion removed his helmet. He couldn’t believe who it was, it was Cullen, the man he called uncle. The same man who gave him the stupid griffin toy he still carried around with him. He told people it was a memory of a great templar, a man who made him who he was today. Now the same man stood over him as he died. That same man, his uncle, was the one to finally put down the rabid templar.

“Uncle? Uncle is that you?” Nate coughed up some blood. Cullen was puzzled and cautiously bent over to remove the man’s helm. The helmet dropped from Cullen’s hands as he stumbled back. The man’s features gave away who he was, there was no doubt who this man was before him, this man was Anders’ son. He was in denial when he heard it from one of the scouts the day before, it was just rumors. He had tried to stay in touch with Nate, but never heard back from him since he had mentioned joining the Templars, something he tried talking him out of.

“Commander.”

“What?” Cullen barked at the scout.

“Corypheus’ Commander, the Griffin…he’s…”

“Well, spit it out, I need to know who we’re dealing with!”

“It’s the Hero of Ferelden’s boy.”

Cullen, stood looking at his nephew bleeding on the ground. “Maker, if your mother saw you, if she saw what I did to you…”

“I know. It’s okay uncle.” Nate coughed some more. He knew what was coming, the pain in his gut from the wound was unbearable and he hoped that his uncle still cared enough about him to grant him a quick death. “Uncle?”

Cullen sank to his knees taking his nephew’s hand. “Yes?”

“Can you make this quick for me?”

Cullen heard him, but he wasn’t registering what the boy was asking of him. He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t do it to June and he couldn’t do it to her son.

“Nate, I…”

“Please.” Nate stared at him, his eyes begging for his mercy. Cullen grabbed his dagger and gripped it hard. Before delivering the final blow, Nate grabbed his arm. “Tell dad that I’m sorry.” Cullen’s hand shook, but he followed through. He stabbed his nephew and he cried, he cried because of what he did and that even as Nate lay dying there, he couldn’t tell him that his father had died a few years before, while trying to rid himself of Justice so he could see him again. Somehow he figured the Deep Roads had the answer, or at least that is what he told everyone.

Cullen took Nate’s helmet with him as a remembrance of his nephew, the last link he had to his good friend, the Hero of Ferelden.


End file.
